No matter how advanced we become, we will always need to do lists.  Whether on paper, a smartphone, or the web – the best to do lists enhance productivity, give us a sense of accomplishment and push us closer to our goals whether they be big or small.  Effective to do lists go beyond remembering what you need to do during the day. The effective ones serve as tools for setting intentions, forging through large projects and planning long term life changes. Here are three types of to do list we recommend, as well as some tips and tricks for handling them.

Each morning make sure to list your top priorities for the day. What has to get done, no matter what? Starting your day with this will put them front and center in your mind and remind you as you go through your day that there is something, or some things, that should be done first.  Remember that a priority is not your entire to do list! You’ll end up frustrated if you try to set a daily goal that consists of seven big things. Instead focus on what must get done and try to limit it to 1-2 things in your professional life and  1-2 things in your personal life.

After these, make a simple two columned list of professional and personal tasks that include things like, “Grocery store on the way home” and “Help Jack study spelling words.”  As you go throughout your day, cross these off.  If you realize you have too many, circle those that can be moved to another day. Embrace that it’s okay to move things around. At the end of the day take note of what didn’t get done and keep it until you make your new list in the morning so that you don’t forget anything.

Pro-Tip: If you have a big project on your list that is a top priority don’t put the full result on your list.  Eventually it will lose its sense of urgency.  Instead, plan for it backwards!  Say it’s revamping your garden.  Don’t just write “Garden Redux”.  Instead, decide when you want it done and break it down into tasks, backwards.  Smaller, more manageable pieces of the task on your to do list will help you prioritize and get it done while also giving you an encouraging boost of accomplishment as you go.

Whether you set it in January, February, or the middle of April, take time to think about where you want to be in a year. Do you want to get a promotion at work?  Start a garden? Learn how to code?  Setting an annual goal or two reminds you that we can all continue improving and the best to do lists are ones that foster personal growth, so think about areas in your life where you could improve. It can be as grand as “train for a marathon” or as simple as “read every day.” Keep this list someplace where you’re likely to see it each day to remind you to continue working on whatever it is.

Label the top with your annual goal (one is more than enough for a year long goal) and use the rest of the sheet of paper (virtual or not) to track how you’re doing.

Believe it or not, one of the most important to do lists in your life is your grocery list. Grocery lists keep you from wandering aimlessly, purchasing unnecessary items, and force you to focus on health and wellness. The best to do list for the grocery store is two pronged. First, plan meals for the week which include meals out, leftovers, or evenings when no one is home to eat.  Build your grocery list around this so that you’re not buying to cook for three meals when you’re only going to cook one.

No matter where it is, to do lists that are effective share some things in common. The list can be as simple as a pad of paper on the counter, a post it on your monitor, an iPhone calendar entry, or a beautiful planner.

Whether you use color-coding or the box system, the best to do lists include visual shortcuts.

If your kids are coded blue and you see a blue entry at 4 pm you’ll likely be triggered to remember to call to check to make sure the kids got home from school okay.  Or maybe you have a client you code in purple. And she hasn’t stopped raving about the macarons she tried in France. You see that purple entry in your office at 2 pm and realize that you should pick up a few of the confections while you’re out at lunch.

Color coding makes all of your to do lists far more efficient. And don’t get fancy — don’t try to change colors seasonally or use several shades of the same color.  Just get a pack of pens that come in a variety of colors and assign them.  Don’t want to carry around colored pens?  Assign a different shape to the big things in your calendar: a star, square, triangle, asterisk, circle, plus sign… it works!

There are many to do list systems but the best one is that which comes naturally to you.  We’ll get into this more in our next post on this subject (watch for it in May), but you should think about what comes to you naturally.  Do you use a calendar or do you like to just list things on scratch paper.  Are you visual?  Do you color code?  If you’ve never color-coded, starting now doesn’t make sense.  Do you write things down or put everything in your phone?  Assessing how you generally handle your to do lists will be a good starting off point.

Get in the habit of keeping these three lists and see what feels right to you.  We’ll be back soon with information on various paper and technology options to document to do lists. And don’t forget, one of our professional organizers can help you figure out the best system for you and set you on a path for success.